At a reception held at Denver’s historic Crawford Hill Mansion, the Level One Society, headed by Marti Awad, announced the start of its Pavilion Project, a drive to raise $350,000 to be put toward the construction of the Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Unit scheduled to open next summer in Denver Health’s Pavilion M.

The Level One Society is made up of young professionals and community leaders committed to supporting Denver Health. Its mission is to raise awareness and develop resources through outreach, advocacy and expansion of the donor base. One of the ways in which this is done is A Toast to Denver Health, a series of get-togethers such as this one chaired by Jenny Pruett, Jamie Van Leeuwen, Yvette Pita Frampton and Auna Jornayvaz.

Some 200 new and continuing friends of Denver Health were there to enjoy food, music and remarks such as those delivered by Kathy Klugman, who shared the very personal story of her late son Terry’s struggle with bipolar disease. Klugman also touched on the crucial need for providing mental health services to children and the importance of overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness.

A poignant video tribute to Terry was shown, and community leader Caz Matthews read a statement from Mayor John Hickenlooper, who had been friends with Terry. Dr. Vincent Collins of Denver Health and Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter also spoke about the unique needs facing children who suffer from mental illness and the importance of having access to facilities and resources that provide appropriate and necessary treatment.

Michelle Rose-Hughes and Franklin Rios are chairing the Pavilion Project, and they report that A Toast to Denver Health raised $33,000 for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Unit. They also thanked sponsors and others who helped make the evening possible, including attorney Pamela Mackey of Haddon, Morgan & Foreman, Mike Ferrufino of KBNO and Marc Spritzer and Nick Lane from CoBiz.

The Pavilion Project, they noted, “Will help Denver Health deliver the most effective and advanced therapeutic programs available for young people in need of mental health services, incorporating music, art, outdoor recreation, life-skills training and a classroom with the latest teaching tools.

“Mental health issues,” the co-chairs added, “affect one in every five young people. An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need. Budgetary issues have eliminated many critical resources for mental health treatment and now Denver Health is the only in-patient facility in Denver to care for children who are struggling to regain mental health. Access to appropriate and proven treatments is critical to helping kids gain the resilience and self-confidence they need to return to their families and schools, and ultimately lead productive, healthy lives.”

Anyone wishing to learn more about the Pavilion Project, or wanting to make a donation, may contact Karen Kennedy at 303-602-2972 or visit pavilionproject.org.

Don and Patty Cook, longtime supporters of Mental Health America of Colorado, will be honored at Tribute 2010, the organization’s signature fundraiser. It takes place Sept. 29 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.
The Cooks were introduced when Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter hosted a reception at the Governor’s Mansion that was attended by 60-plus committee members, board members and staff.

The Cooks spoke briefly about their work with MHAC and shared why they are so dedicated to its mission. “Mental health issues,” they emphasized, “touch all of our lives and we support Mental Health America of Colorado because it works to improve the lives of people living with mental illness by providing resources and education for them and their loved ones.”

The theme for Tribute 2010 is “This Bell Shall Ring Out Hope,” and symbolizes the bell that is part of MHAC’s logo and history. In 1953, Mental Health America issued a call to asylums across the country for discarded chains and shackles once used to restrain people in mental health hospitals. The bindings, according to MHAC, were melted down and recast in to a bell, a sign of hope and a powerful reminder that the invisible chains of misunderstanding and discrimination continue to bind people with mental health conditions. “Today,” a MHAC spokeswoman says, “the bell rings out hope for improving mental health and achieving recovery from mental illnesses.”

Proceeds from the dinner will support MHAC’s efforts in outreach, education, prevention and advocacy. In 2009, these services reached more than 20,000 Coloradans.

I like to look at things from a positive angle, so for public consumption I’ll just say it’s wonderful that there are enough big-hearted people in Denver to support the four major charitable fundraisers scheduled for June 26: Janet’s Camp, the National Repertory Orchestra Summer Gala, the Giddy-Up Gala starring Lee Ann Womack and the presentation of the Central City Opera Flower Girls.

Privately, I’m sorry there’s not a central source for registering dates so that “traffic jams” such as this can be avoided.

Or not.

Because when there was an official calendar, few organizations utilized it, and the reasons they didn’t ranged from legit (since it was published only two times a year, many of the listings were obsolete by the time the calendars were mailed) to something bordering on paranoia. (If we announce our speaker/entertainer/theme six months or a year in advance, another group will steal it and beat us to the punch).

Bottom line: I don’t think a printed calendar will fly any better today than it did several years ago. Nor do I think that anyone has the time, or inclination, to put in the hours required to get one up and running. Even online. And, the same groups that were reluctant to participate before probably haven’t changed their minds.

As Walt Imhoff looks on, Ryta Sondergard expresses her thanks for the award given in his late wife's memory. Photo by Steve Peterson, Special to The Denver Post

Its name — the Georgia R. Imhoff Philanthropist and Volunteer Extraordinaire of the Year Award — is about as long as she was high. But length, or brevity, isn’t important here. Spirit is.
Georgia wasn’t there in person (she succumbed in late August to complications from a heart attack and pancreatic cancer) to see Ryta Sondergard become the first to receive the honor, her spirit certainly was. It was especially felt when her husband, Walt, and daughter, Stacy Ohlsson, stepped to the stage in the Sheraton Denver Downtown’s Plaza Ballroom to announce the winner’s name.
Ohlsson was wearing a tuxedo that her mom had worn to the party launching Blacktie-Colorado, an online community dedicated to supporting charitable organizations. Georgia founded Blacktie with Mary Winter and Kenton Kuhn as a way of expanding awareness of fundraising events by maintaining a calendar, providing photographic coverage and the “Have You Met?” profiles of the men and women who have key roles in community affairs.
“Mom was proof that one life can make a difference,” Ohlsson observed.
Like Georgia, Ryta Sondergard supports numerous causes, including the Kempe Center and Colorado UpLift. She also has a keen sense of humor and the ability to cut straight to the core of the matter to maximize profit and fun.
“The volunteer part comes from my heart,” Sondergard noted. “But the philanthropy part would not be possible without my husband’s checkbook.”
Emotions ran high at the cocktail hour function chaired by Jamie Angelich. “Tonight is both joyous and bittersweet,” Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper noted, while musician Hazel Miller recalled that she had met Georgia “years ago, and she always treated me with such respect and love. And she always asked me to sing ‘Georgia on My Mind.’ ” Miller then offered a rendition of the song so tender that it brought tears to many eyes.
The party also was the occasion to recognize those who have been profiled in Blacktie’s “Have You Met?” feature, and those inducted to the “Have You Met?” Hall of Fame.
The 350 guests ranged from Hickenlooper to drag queen Nuclia Waste and included Janet Elway; Norwood and Barbara Robb; retired judge Bob Fullerton and Beverlee Henry; Barry and Arlene Hirschfeld; Paul and Sue Goss; Leo and Linda Goto; Holly Kylberg; Richard and Jacque Beaver; Sue Kruger; Deb Smith; Debbie Gradishar; Aaron LaPedis; Sally Hopper; Kathy and Dr. Jordan Klein; Christopher Meza; Warren and Helen Hanks; Diane Huttner; Diane Wengler; Susan Stiff; Nancy Koontz, who writes a majority of the “Have You Met?” profiles; and Joe Hubbard, who was high bidder on the evening’s lone live auction item, a dinner for 10, prepared by chef Ian Kleinman of O’s at the Westin Westminster, with Gov. Bill and Jeannie Ritter. The $5,500 that Hubbard paid will be donated to Project PAVE.

You can never go home again. Unless your name is Barbara Davis and you’re returning to your old stomping grounds to oversee the rebirth of the gala that put Denver on the map, the one and only Carousel Ball.
Well, maybe not same exact Carousel Ball that Davis and her late husband, Marvin, started here 31 years ago. That one starred such legendary entertainers as Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Sammy Davis Jr. and brought in political figures that included presidents, ambassadors and other world leaders.
But it did sparkle, with about 1,000 guests turning out to honor Arlene Hirschfeld and be entertained by CNN talk show host Larry King and his wife, Shawn; Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The Davises (he made his fortune in oil and property development; later, his holdings included ownership of 20th Century Fox, Pebble Beach, the Beverly Hills Hotel and Aspen Skiing Co) established the Carousel Ball as a fundraiser for the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. It was formed after their daughter, Dana, was diagnosed with diabetes.
The family moved to Beverly Hills in the late 1980s, taking the ball with them. They re-named it Carousel of Hope, and it continues as an every-other-year success that draws the cream of Hollywood. It was Denver’s loss, to be sure.
“We did the first three Carousel Balls in this hotel,” Barbara Davis told us on Saturday. “It was the Hilton at the time.” One of her most vivid memories is that of Lucille Ball’s husband Gary Morton making every effort to solicit bids on a Rolex watch that was part of the auction. “He may have thought he was getting bids from the audience, but he was actually bidding against himself. And he wound up buying it.”
In previous years, when the High Hopes Carousel Ball was known as the High Hopes Tribute Dinner, Davis was accompanied by one or more of her five children, usually daughters Nancy and Dana. This year, Nancy had a commitment she was obligated to honor and Dana was in Texas for trunk showings of the line of shoes she has designed.
“They’re like the Taryn Rose brand, stylish but very comfortable,” Davis said, adding that they’re also well-received. “She has them in 70 stores.”
The Davis sisters each donated to the benefit’s silent auction. Dana gave a $450 ced a triple emerald certificate good toward a pair of her shoes, with the opportunity to name a future design; Nancy contributed a triple emerald choker, set in white gold and diamonds, from her Peace & Love Jewelry collection.
The Sheraton ballroom, where a beef filet and salmon dinner was served, was decorated in shades of pink by a design team from Bouquets. Owners BJ Dyer and Guenther Vogt had their hands full that night: They’d just returned from Phoenix, where they received their second Marketer of the Year award (an industry record) from the Society of American Florists, and in addition to High Hopes, they also were in charge of decorating the Seawell Ballroom for Beatles Bash, an event taking place simultaneously at the DCPA.
“It’s too bad both of these fun events were scheduled for the same night,” Dyer said, “but on the plus side, it’s a testament to Denver’s strength in supporting worthy causes.”
Guests at High Hopes included Gov. Bill and Jeannie Ritter; Mayor John Hickenlooper; Dr. Jules Amer, the pediatrician who diagnosed Dana Davis with diabetes; Dr. George Eisenbarth, executive director of the Barbara Davis Center; former Colorado first lady Frances Owens; John and Anna Sie; Michelle Sie Whitten; Larry Mizel; Norm Brownstein; Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake; CBS4’s Ed Green, who was given the title “host,” but was more of a master of ceremonies, the descriptor reserved for Larry King; and attorney Doug Tisdale, who called the live auction.
Tisdale, there with girlfriend Lynne Hamstra, had no trouble coaxing four- and five-figure bids for the live auction items that included a trip to London to see the Jonas Brothers in concert and a visit to Los Angeles for the 2010 Carousel of Hope Ball. He also blew the roof off the paddle-raiser segment by landing $100,000 in pledges when the goal had been to raise $30,000.Pam Diamond resisted any urge to participate in the bidding, and why not? She’d accessorized her black velvet evening gown with Harry Winston diamond earrings purchased at an earlier Carousel Ball.Carol Roger, a Realtor who’d sold the Davises’ Devonshire Heights home following their move to Southern California, recalled an auction item she’d purchased at one of the LA Carousel Balls. “It was a round of golf with Sidney Poitier and O.J. Simpson that I’d gotten for my husband. But before I could collect on it …”
Roger’s “date” for High Hopes was Vivian Guzofsky, a past chair of one of the Denver Carousel Balls. “People come out of the woodwork every time Barbara comes to town,” Guzofsky said as the looked out at the crowd filling the Sheraton ballroom.
Familiar faces included Nancy and Dr. Les Lockspeiser (she’s the artist who designed the original Carousel Ball logo that is still in use today); Katie Stapleton and Patrick Coulson; Sue Cannon; Jordon and Essie Perlmutter; Warren and Ruth Toltz; Ted and Marsha Alpert; Tom and Cydney Marsico; Ted and Cindy Halaby; Larry and Marilyn Atler; Skip and Nancy Miller; Fred and Roxanne Vierra; Mary and Dr. Richard Krugman; David and Bonnie Mandarich; Peter and Cathy Culshaw; Al and Jamie Angelich; Dr. Michael Salem; Sheila and Dr. Gary Gutterman; David and Ricki Rest; Rick and Sheila Bugdanowitz; Howard and Susan Noble; Ed and Lee Palmer Everding; Bob and Kalleen Malone; Dick and Marcia Robinson; John and Lisa Robinson; Mark and Ellen Robinson Schwartz; Sharon Kamen; Pam and Dr. John Grossman; Evan and Evi Makovsky; Craig Fleishman and Layne Hunt; Don and Mary Lou Kortz; silent auction chairs Gretchen Pope, Lisa Corley, Sally Frerichs and Jan Rosen; Melly Kinnard; Steve and Robin Chotin; Paul Esserman; Allied Jewish Federation chief Doug Seserman and his wife, Susan; Denver City Council members Carla Madison and Charlie Brown; and Diane Huttner, who, like Barbara Davis, had her hair done for the occasion by James Mucker of Salon Utopia.
Later, Davis would further endear herself to the crowd by observing: “Beauty isn’t found only in cities where movies are made. It’s abundant in cities filled with people who have kind hearts, fantastic cities like Denver.”
Arlene Hirschfeld, honored for her years of service to both the community and the Barbara Davis Center, was introduced by her husband of 43 years, Barry, and was accompanied by son and daughter-in-law Hayden and Elana Hirschfeld.
Hayden and Elana recently made his parents first-time grandparents, with the birth of their son, Emery William. The baby is grandchild No. 6 for Elana’s parents, Bob and Diane Hochstadt, also were at High Hopes, sharing a table with Dr. Eisenbarth and his wife, Frieda.

Mental illness is the cause Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter has elected to focus on while her husband, Bill, fulfills his first term as governor and that is why she has accepted a bid to serve as honorary chair of the April 19 Silent Samaritans Luncheon.
Silent Samaritans is a program of CENTUS Counseling, Consulting & Education and is in its sixth year. “It’s a program based on a simple idea full of quiet power — women of strength helping women in need,” explains Silent Samaritans chair Christi Harman. Money raised at the luncheon will underwrite the cost of services provided to women who Read more…

Ask any of the living charter members and to a woman they’ll say it doesn’t seem possible that 50 years have passed since Denver chapter of Jack and Jill of America was founded.
But in that time, the chapter has made a world of difference for young people living in the Denver area. Read more…